More Ozzie Guillen Baseball Gestalt

At a recent sports blog convention I attended, I heard a couple speakers refer to Chicago White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen as “The Diego Maradona of Major League baseball.” He was also called brilliant. Perhaps he’s both; or perhaps you might find it redundant to say he’s both similar to Diego Maradona and brilliant.

Either way after the jump are some golden quotes and philosophical nuggets Guillen gave the media last week.

Also, in reference to the title above, “Gestalt” is defined by Merriam-Webster as:

a structure, configuration, or pattern of physical, biological, or psychological phenomena so integrated as to constitute a functional unit with properties not derivable by summation of its parts.

By Paul M. Banks

On off-season relations with the players…

“One thing I never did in my life and never will, send a Christmas card to nobody , because we work together, we’re not friends. I got a bunch of (garbled, inaudible) I throw that sh** away. Why? Because you pick your own friends. As soon as the season is over, I remember the players when I see Kenny in the winter meetings. Oh sh** that guy? Yeah, Ok. That’s it. I don’t remember anyone.”

When this thing is over, good luck, live my own life, and I don’t care about anyone. They either! Do you think they go into the winter and think hey, is Ozzie going to be our manager this year?

No, they don’t give a sh** about that. So do I! I’ll see you guys at spring training, good luck, and hopefully I’ll see you again.”

On the general hierarchy, and salary discrepancy in the clubhouse…

“I’m working for them, they’re not working for me. That’s opposite. A lot of managers say they’re not playing good for me. Well, I’m not managing good for them. I’m working for them, I’m an employee. That’s why they’re making $10 million and I only make $500,000. Cooper and Walk and the guy taking the heat about how horsesh** they are, they only make $120,000, maybe if, or (in some cases) $200,000. And they take ALL the heat!

I was talking to (owner) Mr. Reinsdorf, and I asked why does a NBA team have 18 stinking coaches? And they only have 12 players! We only got four coaches and we got 25 guys. They don’t have the answer.” Everybody is a coach in the NBA. (laughter ensued)